That experience in the UK reminded me that the heartbeat of football does not start at the national team level. It begins with us. It starts with people who show up, not just when the team wins.
However, showing up has not always been our strong suit. I have seen people hesitate to watch a 7.30pm Lions match yet stay up past midnight for European football without a second thought. I have been in local stadiums where empty seats outnumbered the filled ones.
While it is understandable that Singapore football fans have grown cautious after years of mixed results, it also reveals the gap between who we are today and who we can become if we choose to show up for our own game.
If we want a stronger national team, the responsibility cannot rest solely on the shoulders of one coach or the football association. It belongs to all of us – to the parents who encourage play, to the schools that nurture values, to the clubs that develop talent, and, yes, to the fans who choose belief over cynicism.
It lives in the pub owner who screens local football matches because he knows that atmosphere grows culture. It lives in schools that send students to cheer for the Lions the same way they do for National Day Parade previews and inter-school games.
And it lives in all of us, like you, rounding up your old secondary school friends, pulling on our red jerseys, and deciding that supporting Singapore football is something we do together. Change begins with us.
Continue reading...
However, showing up has not always been our strong suit. I have seen people hesitate to watch a 7.30pm Lions match yet stay up past midnight for European football without a second thought. I have been in local stadiums where empty seats outnumbered the filled ones.
While it is understandable that Singapore football fans have grown cautious after years of mixed results, it also reveals the gap between who we are today and who we can become if we choose to show up for our own game.
CHANGE BEGINS WITH US
If we want a stronger national team, the responsibility cannot rest solely on the shoulders of one coach or the football association. It belongs to all of us – to the parents who encourage play, to the schools that nurture values, to the clubs that develop talent, and, yes, to the fans who choose belief over cynicism.
It lives in the pub owner who screens local football matches because he knows that atmosphere grows culture. It lives in schools that send students to cheer for the Lions the same way they do for National Day Parade previews and inter-school games.
And it lives in all of us, like you, rounding up your old secondary school friends, pulling on our red jerseys, and deciding that supporting Singapore football is something we do together. Change begins with us.
Continue reading...